[DSM-Iowa] Update on voting rights in Iowa and next steps

[Scott Van Gorp]

Good Evening Federation Family:

I mentioned at this year's Iowa Caucus at national convention that we would
be moving forward with efforts to secure the rights of blind and other
disabled voters in Iowa to cast our votes privately and independently in all
future elections. First a little history. A couple of weeks before
convention, I was contacted by our national organization to discuss how we
would move forward since our efforts in the Iowa legislature didn't gain
much traction this year. After some discussion, we thought that Iowa might
be a good case for some attorneys at the US Department of Justice to look at
since there has been increasing interest in voting matters, particularly
around the rights of voters with disabilities. As a result, the National
Federation of the Blind of Iowa and the National Federation of the Blind are
working on gathering information to launch a complaint with the DOJ to
hopefully convince our Secretary of State, Paul Pate, to comply with the
Help America Vote Act and the ADA without the need for state legislation.
I'll also be enlisting the help of others who have been on this journey with
us. This does not mean we are abandoning our state legislative efforts,
however. This is just another tool for us to use. If you were at the caucus
on July 9, you heard from Eve Hill, an attorney with tremendous experience
both in and outside of the DOJ. She is likely going to be a key partner in
this effort, and I hope all of you, and even more people outside of our
organization will join us in making our voices heard on this important
issue. 

So, how can you help? We need your stories of voting barriers you have
faced, not just in the 2020 election, but any election. We need to hear how
important it is to have the same voting rights as everyone else, whether
voting in person on election day, voting early, or even voting absentee.
Even if you have shared them with me or others before, we need to hear them
again. Please send your stories to Valerie Yingling, Legal Programs
Coordinator at the National Federation of the Blind. You may email her at

vyingling at nfb.org <mailto:vyingling at nfb.org> 

or you may call her at 410-659-9314 extension 2440.

All of us have stories in some form, and those stories will only help to
strengthen our case for private, secure, and independent voting in Iowa! If
you need help sharing your story, please feel free to reach out and I'll
gladly help where I can. We've started the conversation, and I look forward
to seeing where we go from here! There will be more information shared on
this subject, but in the meantime, let's go build the National Federation of
the Blind of Iowa and secure our access to voting in all forms and in all
future elections!   

      

 

Scott Van Gorp, President
National Federation of the Blind of Iowa
Phone: 515-720-5282
 <mailto:svangorp at nfbi.org> Email

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Live the life you want.

The National Federation of the Blind of Iowa is a community of members and
friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every day
we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.

 

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